Bill A 6407 establishes a crisis intervention demonstration program in New York City (population over 1 million) to train law enforcement officers to respond to mental health and substance abuse crises. The program creates a dedicated coordinator position within the Office of Mental Health, who will develop partnerships with law enforcement, mental health providers, and community groups to provide specialized training for first responders. It also sets up a $1 million state-funded "Crisis Intervention Team Training Fund" (supported by federal grants and private donations) to cover training and community coordination costs, requiring annual reports on program implementation and funding use. The bill directly affects NYC police, mental health service providers, and individuals experiencing mental health crises, aiming to provide alternatives to incarceration through coordinated community responses.
Prevents health plans from engaging in overpayment recovery efforts that include contacting the patient to seek reimbursement for such overpayment of claims.
Establishes an intensive addiction and medical services integrated services pilot program to support two three-year demonstration programs that provide intensive addiction and medical services integrated services to individuals who have significant addiction and medical issues.
This bill requires New York's Office of Addiction Services and Supports to establish new tobacco policies for addiction treatment facilities. It mandates that facilities serving children, youth, or young adults must be entirely tobacco-free, while other facilities may choose to be "tobacco-limited" (allowing limited tobacco use in designated areas) or tobacco-free. The policy also adds priority admission for individuals whose children are in foster care or at risk of placement under family court or social services laws. These standards apply to all facilities providing substance abuse treatment services. The bill takes immediate effect upon enactment.
This bill directs 1% of mobile sports betting tax revenue (with a minimum of $6 million annually) to fund problem gambling education and treatment programs. It requires the state gaming commission to allocate these funds starting in the first fiscal year mobile betting operations begin, with the money deposited into the commercial gaming fund for this specific purpose. The policy directly affects state-funded gambling treatment services and public health programs addressing gambling addiction. It creates a dedicated, ongoing revenue stream from mobile sports betting taxes to support these services, separate from other lottery or gaming funds.
Establishes a wound care kit and xylazine test strip distribution program to supply wound care kits designed for the treatment of injection-related wounds and skin and soft tissue infections, and xylazine test strips, to individuals with a substance use disorder or who are otherwise at risk of drug use, free of charge; prohibits facilities from collecting personally identifying information on such individuals; prohibits police from targeting individuals receiving wound care kits or xylazine test strips under such program.
This bill removes criminal penalties for possessing buprenorphine (a medication used to treat opioid addiction) when used for medical purposes under specific circumstances. It directly affects individuals who currently face criminal charges for possessing this medication, particularly those using it in addiction treatment. The key change amends Public Health Law to clarify that possession for medical use by a practitioner or patient is no longer classified as a crime. The law remains focused on medical use during treatment for addiction, without creating new programs or funding.
This bill requires a 7.8% cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) for specific human services programs starting April 2026. It applies to providers under New York’s offices of mental health, developmental disabilities, and addiction services, including programs like supported housing, crisis services, and substance abuse treatment. The COLA must be used to fund at least a 1.7% targeted salary increase for eligible staff at local providers and direct contract agencies. The adjustment replaces other inflation-based increases for these programs, except for federal pandemic relief funds.
This bill requires the New York State to provide every public and private school - including elementary, secondary, trade/vocational, college, and university - with at least one opioid and fentanyl overdose rescue kit at no cost. The kits must contain two doses of naloxone nasal spray, CPR equipment, and wireless technology that alerts first responders when opened and notifies of medication expiration. Schools may offer optional training for staff on using the kits, but participation is not mandatory. The law takes effect 90 days after enactment, with necessary rules to be implemented before that date.
Assembly Resolution 303 requests Governor Kathy Hochul to proclaim April 2025 as Co-Occurring Disorders Awareness Month in New York. The resolution highlights that co-occurring disorders - defined as the simultaneous presence of a mental health condition and substance use disorder - affect millions and can complicate diagnosis and treatment. It aims to increase public awareness and promote integrated care approaches for better health outcomes, citing statistics from the 2022 National Survey on Drug Use and Health. This procedural resolution does not create new laws but encourages statewide recognition of the issue.
